Valery GERGIEV with Mariinsky Orchestra and Denis MATSUEV

“The gripping performances these musicians from St. Petersburg offered had such intensity, character and insight that it was hard to imagine the music played with more authority.” New York Times

One of the greatest conductors of our time, Valery Gergiev moves and captivates audiences with his intensity, his charisma and his profoundity. Enormously acclaimed on the international scene, he returns to Montreal with the legendary Mariinsky Orchestra, which he has been leading masterfully for more than 25 years.

Mariinsky Orchestra enjoys a long and distinguished history as one of the oldest musical institutions in Russia. Valery Gergiev’s inspired leadership as Artistic and General Director since 1988 has taken Mariinsky ensembles to 45 countries and has brought universal acclaim to this legendary institution, now in its 229th season. The success of the Orchestra’s frequent tours has created the reputation of what one journalist referred to as “the world’s first global orchestra

Presently Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and The World Orchestra of Peace, Valery Gergiev is also founder and Artistic Director of the Stars of the White Nights Festival and New Horizons Festival in St. Petersburg, among others. Maestro Gergiev is the recipient of a numerous international awards, among them a Grammy, the Dmitri Shostakovich Award, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize, Netherlands’sKnight of the Order of the Dutch Lion,Japan’sOrder of the Rising Sun,the Herbert von Karajan prize and France’sRoyal Order of the Legion of Honor.

DENIS MATSUEV, piano

“Perhaps he is the new Horowitz.” – London Times

“A virtuoso in the grandest of Russian traditions who returns us to the great days of Emil Gilels… He literally possesses the sort of technique which begins where others end” –Gramophone

Ever since his triumphant victory at the 1998 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Matsuev has been establishing himself as one of the most sought-after pianists of his generation.

His combination of stunning virtuosity and clear artistic identity consistently win him critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences worldwide, whether in his solo recitals and orchestral performances.